This certainly looked good. Ufotable are truly the Koyani of wasting talent and resources on shlock.
Here are my thoughts:
- These character designs are still garbage. Having these triangle faced weirdos against set beautiful rendered backdrops spoils the effort. If you're going to pay such lavish attention to the setting why not do the same for the faces?
- All these 1st person 'V/N' style shots are creepy as all hell.
- This fight was cool, I guess, but as it's not even the first episode there's zero tension.
- Rin's whole "turn to the side and blush like a 'tsun" routine got tired immediately.
I know right? I am only a few minutes in but every time Rin turns to her side it's like a triangle nose and it's kind of jarring considering how well everything else is done. It's my only real complaint so far, but yeah it takes me out of it every time.
But at least it's pacing itself better than the first episode of Fate/Zero so far. Introducing characters better. I remember how in the first episode I was getting characters mixed up with each other.
The action was pretty good, I'll give it that. Not really fond of Rin just yet (she seems a bit too bossy, stubborn and naive), but then again I wasn't really fond of Waver at the beginning of Fate/Zero, and he grew into one of the better characters in that show. That lunch scene seemed straight out of a visual novel as well (yes, I know). Curious to find out Archer's identity.
Yeah it was a few minutes ago. First the F/SN video wouldn't load at all, then when it did load it was all blurry and pixelated. It's steadily getting better so I am gonna give it a few more moments so the ufotable art can really shine.
I swear it's like I'm watching a movie, this episode was just gorgeous. I'd think its safe to say that ufotable has improved on its exposition in that this episode didn't prolong its explanations to the viewer. And of course having the viewpoint being best girl Rin never hurts. But again, superb animation and superb backgrounds, ufotable nails it again.
Sad to say most likely that we are going to be switching to the viewpoint of Shirou for the rest of the series (Or perhaps ufotable will be awesome and have it dedicated to Rin for the entire series!).
Being one of the many here who has read the VN, and one of the few who fucking cannot stand Rin's tsundere/cocky side, you have no idea how exhilarating it felt to be able to skip all the early school shit about Rin's day in school being tsundere and HMMMMMMMPH. I got straight to the meat of the episode. The summoning, the day back to school, and everything afterwards.
Let me just say this now: Welcome back Ufotable. That fight scene. I don't think my body could produce more of a nerdgasm. It was 2good2deep4me. I cannot stress this enough we need GIFs and webms of that fight to bring people to watch anime. It was that awesome.
So yeah. This was pretty faithful to the source material considering that also had the Rin opening prologue. And seeing how it's not the Fate route we won't have to see as much sexist Shirou or running away from naked saber. In fact this is easily the best Shirou route in terms of how much he gets to do, though Heaven's Feel is a close second.
All in all, I was more impressed with Ufotable than with the prologue, and seeing how they don't go nearly as in depth about the system as Fate Zero I cannot begin to recommend watching that beforehand. I mean not only is it better plot and characters, it's also nice to know these characters beforehand like SEEEEEEEEEEI-BAAAAA.
5/10 in everything Rin
10/10 in the battle
20/10 in Seeeeeeeeeeeibaaaaaa
It's not going to be garbage, it'll at least have good action and a decent to ok plot it's just not Fate Zero. Fate Zero was more on the nose with the talk about ideologies, in this show only Shirou really follows that motto. You will at the very least get sweet action that's a win.
I swear it's like I'm watching a movie, this episode was just gorgeous. I'd think its safe to say that ufotable has improved on its exposition in that this episode didn't prolong its explanations to the viewer. And of course having the viewpoint being best girl Rin never hurts. But again, superb animation and superb backgrounds, ufotable nails it again.
Sad to say most likely that we are going to be switching to the viewpoint of Shirou for the rest of the series (Or perhaps ufotable will be awesome and have it dedicated to Rin for the entire series!).
True, true. However I'm purely basing my prediction on the VN where Shirou is the main protag in.... everything. It was different with F/Z where they had more freedom in plot direction.
How this show turns out will depend greatly on how the source material is adapted. With ufotable adapting a new script that is being written by Nasu himself, they can finally go back and correct some of the most glaring deficiencies in Shirou's character. Unless Nasu doubles down on Shirou being Shirou, then all of my welp.
The prologue occurs from Rin's perspective but they'll switch to Shirou's perspective the next episode, and then we'll see just how good it's going to be.
Either way, just give me more ufotable fight animation and I'm good.
It's not going to be garbage, it'll at least have good action and a decent to ok plot it's just not Fate Zero. Fate Zero was more on the nose with the talk about ideologies, in this show only Shirou really follows that motto. You will at the very least get sweet action that's a win.
While I maintain that Fate/Zero has a pretty appalling first episode, I do think that Ei Aoki is a far more interesting director. He didn't do weird VN-esque shots that totally throw you out of a scene.
While I maintain that Fate/Zero has a pretty appalling first episode, I do think that Ei Aoki is a far more interesting director. He didn't do weird VN-esque shots that totally throw you out of a scene.
Ok yes it's not just Shirou, and it's unfair of me to say this because FSN technically came first but
most of the characters who follow their ideology here came from FZ
Still, it's a good show and UBW is easily the most exhilarating route in terms of action with HF's probably having the more 'emotional' side to it. But if the writing in FZ is 9/10 the writing in general of FSN would be, personally, a 7.5/10. Not because the actual serious talk is harmed, but more because I didn't feel that some of the later events were earned, particularly Shirou. There's also the harem-y comedy scenes and the
obsessed little sister
shit. We'll see if I change my mind with seeing the events on screen but in the VN I wasn't too pleased with the It's Over 9000 jump.
I'm trying to figure out how the usage of first person affects the atmosphere in any degree. In fact, a number of them actually add to the scenes in question.
Ashita no Nadja 35-50 (Austria Arc) + Final Thoughts
16 episodes. Just over an entire cour spent on the final endgame, the ultimate plotline that wrapped everything up. All the double identities, and Nadja struggling to find proof of who she was and people who would believe who she was so she could find herself was pretty intense. There wasn't really a solid resolution to if it was Keith or Francis she likes more, but that romantic subplot was never the main thrust of the show. It was all about finding and being able to meet her mother, and there was plenty of time dedicated to that in the final episodes.
In the end, Rosemary was a better planner than Herman, and even gracefully accepts defeat. Maybe this is the type of character Rumi Shishido simply does well with. Even Rosso and Bianco got redeemed. Given the show's time slot, that's not surprising, but I question if they did have to kill off the caretaker at Applefield. That was cruel, and the first time Nadja really experienced death in the show. She pressed forward with only that episode spent worrying on it, but... she needed to worry about it. Losing her surrogate mother meant the possibility of losing her real mother, a thought she did not want to contend with.
And then there's the last episode. Duke Preminger was never as slimy as Herman, but making him into a surprise final boss only continued the hardships Nadja's faced. The scene where she descends dressed as she always has, for once going to the ball as Nadja of Applefield, instead of Nadja looking like her mother, was pretty powerful. Instrumental versions of the opening theme always do that to me. As for the end of the show, all this hinting for something that would never continue. The show was more a hit with adults than kids in its time, I believe, and remains a curio from the Sunday Morning Kids' block on TV-Asahi.
Yet, that's why I sought it out. That, and Ami Koshimizu's debut role. If someone told me they loved to read the Nadja books as a kid, I'd believe them. The largely non-magical European setting and the focus on how wealth should be used have a fair bit of substance to them for a kids' show. It's pretty heavily merchandised, with all the trinkets Nadja picks up over the course of the show, but it feels pretty natural. I enjoyed the European tour and the Vienna parts of the show. It's said to be deliberately evocative of shows from the 70s like Haikara-san ga Tooru or Candy Candy, but I've never seen those so I have no means of comparison.
I did like what I saw. Longer shows means I have more time to get to know the characters, and except for the characters I was supposed to dislike, everyone here was pretty well defined. Rita (and her lions, though they gave Nadja their bones before she set off... are they really just small dogs that look like lions? Because come on now.) was pretty adorable, and as the token Japanese character, Kennosuke never felt out of place. Both the arcs (the tale of Jose and Carmen) and the one-offs (TREASURE HUNTING!) had fun, simple stories in them.
I'm not sure if it's one of my favorite anime, but it's something that I think more people should check out. An old-style show with modern sensibilities, in a good way. Abaranger, Faiz, Nadja. What a block that must've been.
Now I'm going to watch something that feels more Japanese by its very nature. G-On Riders!
All i've seen on gaf is people saying "this shion character is great ", or something similar regarding the voice actress behind the character (who does a good job with what she has to do ) I don't think i've seen people saying anything even remotely positive on the rest of the arc. Since most of the people who actually enjoy SAO don't post their impressions here anymore Heck i'm positive that people were actually talking about the character nor the arc itself since shion is always so high in the character rankings ( before and after the anime aired )
I for example sing the praise of "mother rosario" since the OT of Sao season 1 since everyone agrees that it was the best arc of the entire sao franchise PERIOD.
Now we're just hoping that the anime won't destroy the good things of this arc by some stupid pandering ( because the anime abuses of that it's obvious )
Ps: that doesn't mean that SAO will do a revolution in the way it's going to tell it's story.There are some themes the writter doesn't let go.there is a scene in the middle of an arc much later that will make the 25 of sao S1 like child play and i mean it. If mother rosario is a mess , then nothing in Sao can be good. This is like the absolute BEST the sao franchise can offer.
You've gotten me intrigued enough that I'm willing to give SAO one more go when that arc comes up. There was just enough good among the absolute dog shit while I was watching that I'm not really convinced SAO is doomed to be terrible. I do believe the author could squeeze at least 1 enjoyable arc out of it.
Show clearly moved into endgame. Characters are dropping like flies, long stagnant plot points get resolved. Even the production values seem to have shot up.
One of my nitpicks about the plot was addressed quickly as it seems that
even Lia didn't know the identity of her murderer.
They missed the opportunity to write out all the kids and make Taiga the main protag.
Having gone through the first half of the Deen adaptation a short while ago this wasn't the most exciting episode but the execution was impeccable. I can only parrot the praise given to the backgrounds and combat. The fight itself was great and easily up there with the best of F/Z. I especially appreciated that they didn't have one minute monologues during the duel.
I knew this already in advance but it was great hearing Database as the OP. The ED will take getting used to although it did take me a while to start liking S1's ED.
On the whole the episode was enjoyable with all the usual glasses pushing, negotiating and world building that made the first season so good but it became confusing at times as it kept randomly hopping around in time. The art and animation have definately taken a hit in the switch from Satelight to DEEN which is a shame as this show deserves better than this. I also didn't like how the relationship thing was rearing its ugly head again. It's unnecessary and doesn't sit well for me at all.
I'm trying to figure out how the usage of first person affects the atmosphere in any degree. In fact, a number of them actually add to the scenes in question.
Well, there are a number of first person shots, but one in particular really takes the cake:
There are a number of 'off' factors about this moment which all add together to give me a sense of general unease.
- Firstly, there's the extremely 'anime' movements that Rin partakes in during this sequence. This goes hand in hand with her 'tsun' reactions earlier. It's all part of the fetishisation of her character.
- There's the noticeable change in music towards a more wistful tone. I can't really speak for how 'earned' this is, but it gives the sequence a bizarre romantic undercurrent out of literally nowhere.
- Then there's the use of first person perspective from the character of Archer, a person with very little (so far) in the way of real personality, a blank slate for the viewer to easily project themselves on. Are we looking through Archers eyes, or are we looking through our own eyes at Rin as she looks into ours? You can't understand why these feels as creepy as all the shots in the first episode of the Idolm@ster ?
Heck, Archer is even an amnesiac, a classical player/reader surrogate figure!
Enjoyable episode, glad they kept the Database OP and the new artstyle is pleasing to look at while at the same time retaining the familiarity of the first season.
Due to how the episode ended, I assume the beginning of the episode before the OP started was
the raid that took place that Shiroe ultimately failed in the end due to the ending? Or was said beginning just random action sequences? Do we never get to see the raid take place and assume that next episode takes place after Shiroe and Akatsuki apparently die? Or will the following episodes be a build up to the raid so we catch up to the present/future/whatever.
So yeah a bit confusing from what I got at the ending, any clarification would be helpful.
If there's a third season everyone is screwed. This is the second time the super powered individuals rose up to takeover. If everyone lost their powers before due to Art, were those same powers restored when Hajime reversed it?
Well, there are a number of first person shots, but one in particular really takes the cake:
There are a number of 'off' factors about this moment which all add together to give me a sense of general unease.
- Firstly, there's the extremely 'anime' movements that Rin partakes in during this sequence. This goes hand in hand with her 'tsun' reactions earlier.
- There's the noticeable change in music towards a more wistful tone. I can't really speak for how 'earned' this is.
- Then there's the use of first person perspective from the character of Archer, a person with very little (so far) in the way of real personality, a blank slate for the viewer to easily project themselves on. Are we looking through Archers eyes, or are we Rin looking through her our own eyes as she looks into ours? You can't understand why these feels as creepy as all the shots in the first episode of the Idolm@ster ?
Heck, Archer is even an amnesiac, a classical player/reader surrogate figure!
I really wouldn't even associate that with VN, I'm sure I've seen something like this in anime before (multiple times probably). The movements seem slightly overdone but that's Rin being dere moreso than anything else.
They're both bantering with each other. Rin was shitting on Archer and he got pissed. Rin realizing that she had pissed Archer off, was joking with him. The change in music is good actually, as it signifies the start of their relationship and the dynamics between the two. They're both coming to terms with the other party, unlike previously where they were just talking past each other.
As to whether it's Archer's eyes or some third person perspective, it doesn't really matter at all in this context. It's all about the relationship. However chances are that it's Archer's perspective as the camera is seemingly looking down. Not to mention the reverse happens as the camera is slightly looking up at Archer, so that's possibly from Rin's perspective. Either way, the point is that the two have some form of emotional bond however slight that it is. In addition, Archer isn't a blank slate. You're not really supposed to project yourself on him.
Also the Archer amnesia thing is a bit more complicated than you make it sound. In fact, it's a lot more complicated.
There are actually several scenes in F/SN which I thought were intentionally going for a pure VN look, but it's not exactly what Jexhius is talking about. I'm thinking of two scenes in particular - the summoning scene where the camera goes around Rin when her hand is stretched out, and the scene on the rooftop when she uses the magic jump to evade Lancer. What stands out in those two scenes are the composition and coloring, it's quite different from the rest of the show, and the framing along with the way it is shaded reminds me totally of Event CG art in VNs for "important scenes", except animated.
Way better than F/Z's first episode, not that that means anything in the long run.
But no, I really liked it. It's nearly a word-for-word adaptation of the VN prologue with some monologues and some other stuff cut out, but it worked really well animated. I also don't really get the complaints about the character designs either.
Of course, making Rin and her adventures awesome is the easy part. Let's see what happens when Shirou gets the spotlight next week.
Log Horizon 2.01 Was alright. The only real visual change I noticed was Maryelle. Made much thinner, and dressed pretty differently.
Some stuff in there that might be confusing for non book readers.
SAO 2.14 - alright conclusion to the arc. Forgot that Kirito gets beaten up and Sinon saves the day. Even if I'm reminded of black adder with the amusing way he fails to get injected. Interesting that Rosarios Mother and Calibur are being squashed into the rest of the season.
There are actually several scenes in F/SN which I thought were intentionally going for a pure VN look, but it's not exactly what Jexhius is talking about. I'm thinking of two scenes in particular - the summoning scene where the camera goes around Rin when her hand is stretched out, and the scene on the rooftop when she uses the magic jump to evade Lancer. What stands out in those two scenes are the composition and coloring, it's quite different from the rest of the show, and the framing along with the way it is shaded reminds me totally of Event CG art in VNs for "important scenes", except animated.
There are actually several scenes in F/SN which I thought were intentionally going for a pure VN look, but it's not exactly what Jexhius is talking about. I'm thinking of two scenes in particular - the summoning scene where the camera goes around Rin when her hand is stretched out, and the scene on the rooftop when she uses the magic jump to evade Lancer. What stands out in those two scenes are the composition and coloring, it's quite different from the rest of the show, and the framing along with the way it is shaded reminds me totally of Event CG art in VNs for "important scenes", except animated.
Yea I know what you're talking about. Both of those stuck out in how they're framed. I think it was Ufotable trying to give more flair to something that could have ended up mundane. The rooftop jump in particular is more exciting because of how they framed the jump. By shifting the camera on the roof, it also gives a clearer idea of not only what is happening but why.
But a lot of it changed because they wanted to appeal to a wider demographic. (Changing the lead from Female to Male and what not,) Fate/Prototype is closer to zero, though I doubt Nasu would be as popular as he is today if he went that route.
Magnificent series. I was told this was great when I went it and goddamn did it live up to the hype. The animation was top notch. The OST was fantastic. Every character was charming and memorable. A major strength of this show was that it not only knew what it was, but it LOVED what it was. It truly felt like Gundam fans gushing over their favorite franchise. In a way, the greatness of this season makes me both excited and skeptical about season two, since I want to see more of this world but I'm hesitant over the quality. Only time will tell I suppose. Possibly the best show of its kind.
Well, there are a number of first person shots, but one in particular really takes the cake:
There are a number of 'off' factors about this moment which all add together to give me a sense of general unease.
- Firstly, there's the extremely 'anime' movements that Rin partakes in during this sequence. This goes hand in hand with her 'tsun' reactions earlier. It's all part of the fetishisation of her character.
- There's the noticeable change in music towards a more wistful tone. I can't really speak for how 'earned' this is, but it gives the sequence a bizarre romantic undercurrent out of literally nowhere.
- Then there's the use of first person perspective from the character of Archer, a person with very little (so far) in the way of real personality, a blank slate for the viewer to easily project themselves on. Are we looking through Archers eyes, or are we looking through our own eyes at Rin as she looks into ours? You can't understand why these feels as creepy as all the shots in the first episode of the Idolm@ster ?
Heck, Archer is even an amnesiac, a classical player/reader surrogate figure!
To be fair, moments like that usually are there to show off budget and what not. As a recall a lot of anime use still frames so they probably want to be fancy and show movement even during a small conversation.
I seen it done a lot in high budget Anime. Legend of Korra (I know it's a Cartoon) always have their characters constantly in motion even when talking. Since they have a budget to burn, they probably just going to burn it.
Wolf Girl and the short anime are the ones I'm checking out. GF (Beta) isn't debuting this week, and I expect them to get AmaBri at some point in the future. The only shows I need picked up to have my schedule complete are Chaika (a given) and Trinity Seven (expected). Also GF.
Still a bit annoyed that they've been slacking on Climb so much, but it was also confirmed recently that Girlfriend (Beta) will have no male characters in it. I have no problem with this.
What?! Lancer in Fate/Zero was awesome. He didn't deserve his fate. I just thought the two of them were doofuses. Not to say that Rider wasn't awesome when he fought. Because he was.
How Rider went out earned my respect.
But I wasn't as attached to the pair as some others here.
